Knight Rider Life Is A Highway
by Ranja86
Summary: Michael has left FLAG, KITT has been stolen.. now, after 23 years, a young man comes to him and claims to be his former partner. What is that supposed to mean? What has FLAG got to do with it? It could be a clash of generations - or a new start..
1. Chapter 1

**~KNIGHT RIDER~**

**Life Is A**** Highway**

Title © Rascall Flatts (OST Cars)

Disclaimer: Like so often, I do not own Knight Rider or anything connected to it. Pity, I have to say. And I do not earn money with that little story, the more to pity.. (How shall I ever pay off the TransAm then?)

After some research into the old as well as the new KR series, I finally came to the conclusion that both are interesting in their own specific way. For me, KITT always was and will be the true star of the series.. so I noticed some differences between the "old" and "new" KITT. He was the true reason to watch Knight Rider and for almost 10 years now I have asked myself that very simple, but fundamental question: Why has KITT has to be an artificial intelligence, stuffed into a car? Wouldn't he be interesting too if he was a human being? This threat I'm going to follow one way or another, hopefully appreciated by my readers.

And don't go too hard on me for my English, I'm a non-native speaker. Yet I struggle to do my best.

I spent some time finding an appropriate title, and came up with this at last after watching that video:

.com/watch?v=9Fq8_IcfM-8&feature=related

I couldn't help it, because it depicts exactly what I think is the most important between Michael and him: Their extraordinary friendship. Topic would therefore be called "male bonding" because that's what I will focus on. And even if some people might think of naughty business, NO, this is in NO WAY homoerotic!

To sum it up, here he is, our star:

.com/art/KITT-new-colo-142971549

* * *

**CHAPTER 1 – It Can Happen** (© Yes 1984)

* * *

"Who are you?"

Michael´s gaze fell on a maybe 23 year old guy, a total stranger, who had appeared out of nowhere and was now standing slightly puzzled in front of his small cottage at the lake. Like other afternoons, the cop had spent his leisure time with a bottle of Whiskey. He drowned his sorrows and problems in alcohol. Not to be remembered of the painful past which lay behind him.

Too much had happened in those 23 years..

"I don´t say it again:" he left his warm, comfy place in the cool autumn sun and approached the intruder to get off his property. No matter who he was, he wasn´t welcomed. Which went for his clothes likewise which seemed to have been put together in a haste. It could be meaning anything.

Maybe he was a lunatic? A psycho? Regarding that Michael lived only on his own here.. despite his dizziness his instincts were still working fine.

"Who the hell are you?!"

* * *

1 day ago

"Are you sure the CPU.. erm, I mean, "he" will function as planned?"

The scientist in his white overall cast a skeptical glance at the unconscious human on the OP-table. "Our operation might have worked, yet we still do not know if he will wake up again. Not to mention when. It´s high time the Nano-Chip started transmitting impulses."

"Circulation is stable," his colleague checked the status of their project, still asking himself if FLAG would follow on their heels. "This guy here was practically dead before, there shouldn´t be any problems so far.. And when he finally awakes, we will welcome him very warmly."

23 years had passed since the CPU had been stolen. 23 years had passed until technology had finally emerged from the depths of science to make things possible for them and their ambitious projects. Nanotechnology, the new miracle of the new Millenium. The newly generated FLAG had shown them the endless possibilities with their "secret weapon", being able to shape-shift and repair itself.

With a smirk, the scientist checked data one last time and eventually followed his co-worker to leave the room. FLAG might´ve gained access to the old CPU´s data, the backup programming, however you called it. But their artificial intelligence was just a copy, just a machine without any emotion and experience. They lacked the true AI-programming, the true Knight Industries 2000.

Now it was their turn to reanimate it and to get out all information they could lay their hands on. Years of irreplaceable intern as well as extern events were saved on that memory chip, now a part in that pitiable human body on the table. It hadn´t been easy finding an appropriate human "host".

The first scientist fixed his eyes on the unfortunate victim of an accident they had "found away", to call it that way. The young man had practically been dead after his car accident, but his body had still been maintaining the electric current which keeps a human brain alive. It had been sufficient to do the experiment in a secret, illegal way.

He had to admit that circumstances had been very hard and difficult, conditions being almost too extreme, so that he, by now, was almost thinking they had screwed it. There was only one CPU of that kind.

The risk of losing it was too high.

"I hope we did the right thing, also in the sense of science."

The younger colleague sighed, exhausted. The last days had been a 24hour work. Around the clock they had spent their time to minimize the CPU into a Nano-Chip and then to transplant it into that brain here. Now the question was if it worked.

"We did, believe me."

His co-worker suppressed a yawn and looked at his watch. "I'd go for a coffee, and after that we take the rest of the day off. I don't' think he won't change that much in the mean time."

"Alright. We still monitor his reactions.."

The other scientist closed the door behind him. With a low thud silence settled over the room. Nobody was present, save for the regularly humming machines you could find in hospital, monitoring your circulation.

For some time, nothing happened. Then the "experiment" moved with a painful moan and ruby-red eyes blinked into the bright neon-light. In one swift motion, the young man sat himself up and recognized the situation.

"What the fuck?!" the former car let out his first curse ever. Horrified, Kitt looked around and at himself. The grey-black F-Body was no more.. no invincible, black MBS on the surface he was so used to.. no wheels, no lights. Instead, his eyes met a young, slender, and obviously male human body.. light skin.. arms and legs.

Still in shock, he held his hands up to his eyes, and when he had adjusted to looking farer into distance, his next glance fell on his reflection in a monitor opposite to him.

Short, raven-black hair framed the slightly bruised, but otherwise quite pretty face, and astonished, he stared into a pair of ruby-red, confused looking eyes.

What had happened?!


	2. Chapter 2

So.. this is the second chapter.. I have to say, this is a translation as literal as possible. That means, I still don't know if you can translate it into English that way. If ANYBODY would like to Beta-read it, PLEASE send me a message! It would help me very much! (But please apply only if your grammar is good :P )

* * *

KAPITEL 2 – Shake The Disease (© Depeche Mode 1989)

* * *

Shocked to his very heart, the young man tried to calm down his pulse, yet twitched as he detected stranger's voices from outside. Obviously, those had to be the people who had done that to him..

Torn between the need to know more about the situation and an unknown, warning feeling in his guts, Kitt favored instincts, exactly like he had seen it with Michael often enough. And right now those guts told him to stay still and listen.

"Oh, he's still lying around", the entering scientist commented on the seemingly unconscious human in front of him and cast a fast glance at the devices which monitored him. "But he's still not awoken."

"But he's not dead either.." said the other one, sighing. "Do you really think he remembers and tells us all by himself everything he knows? Still, we don't deal with an idiot, but with an _intelligence_. Though artificial."

"So what? Because he had always been more human than machine-like it shouldn't be that hard to make him tell us about his former colleagues", the scientist felt triumphantly. "Besides, he surely will be totally confused and the more be of help to us in order to shed some light on the last acts of the Foundation. Which brings us to the new, younger version of this organization and their secret technology."

"It sounds too easy.." his colleague didn't want to give in, remaining skeptically. "Yet, it was an exhausting week and I think we earned our weekend."

Despite his coffee, he yawned.

"Our watchman will look after him and make sure nobody comes in or goes out", he calmed his brother-in-crime down, having recognized the anxious, worried look on his face. "And he's one Hulk of a man; nobody can overpower him that easily."

"So let's go."

A second yawn.

"I'm fed up this week with complicated calculations and working overnight just to bring some damned CPU back to life. From which we still don't know if it was worth the ruins."

With that, he accompanied his accomplice outside and closed the door with a thud, the CCTV switching into life with a red blinking light.

"I function very well..", Kitt grumbled at the closed door, hurt in his computer pride. He had always been proud of his ability to learn fast and apply new data which were not so common at his time for a computer.

He WAS unique! And those amateurs dared to question that!

Which brought him to the next logical step: When and where was he?

Both persons had spoken about a "new" Foundation, plus the surroundings and electrical devices looked different.. somehow.. more _modern_. It seemed that time hadn't stopped when he'd fallen asleep.

But was that true?

With a sigh, the black-haired youth rubbed his temples; a stinging pain shot out from his back of the head to his forehead and made clear thoughts difficult.

Last thing he remembered was a shutdown of his systems to rest – and then silence.

Had they kidnapped him?

It looked like that.

But why had they put him into a human body? What for?

For the first time in his life, Kitt noticed he had a bunch of questions but no option to answer them. Of course, digging into databases was no longer possible which had been one great advantage of the computer system. In a few minutes, if not seconds, he'd always gotten access to desired information.

Now, that belonged to history.

Bitter.

He almost wished he still possessed his old Ego, his old "body", if you could call it that way. What had become of the black TransAm?

Shivering of cold, the young man became aware that he, from now on, had to take exterior temperature into account. Not that it was all too new to him, but a human body reacted more sensitive towards cold or heat.

Step 2 in his agenda consisted therefore of a way to find more appropriate clothing than that nice, green hospital-cover. Hesitating for a moment, Kitt got up and gave order to his legs to move. And, surprise, it worked.

In the end, a human body worked the same way like a computer: By electric impulses.. at least _that_ had not changed.

Interested, the former car groped his way through the room, and was indeed able to find some clothes in a locker. Not straight from the washing machine, also of indefinite color, which made the black-haired youth turn up his nose; but he had no choice. So, for the moment, that meant taking what he could lay his hands on: Faded Blue Jeans, Sneakers, and a white T-Shirt with a colored logo. Plus a dark red jacket – and there was the clown.

The act of dressing went smoother than expected, as Kitt noticed objectively.

Which lead to step 3, thinking practically: To find out what the situation was about and maybe deduce from that what had happened.

Despite the puzzling state he found himself in, his systems still worked fine. In a sense, the CPU was a practical person and usually thought of things logically.

At least, most times.

Only in emergency situations, it had happened to Kitt that his emotions had gotten the hold of him. If you could call it emotions for a processor.

Yet, he could still remember very well how he had been standing next to an unconscious Michael, unable to help him in his grave state.

Michael..

He had to be the one who knew about everything.

And in a flash, it was clear to Kitt that he had to look for him.

Without being picky, he chose one of the nearby computers which were standing on the table, and tapped on the keyboard. The black screen turned bright and showed a boring blue-green xp-Desktop.

Since when had PC's become that colored?

Frowning, the young man took the mouse, and had recalled in a short time how they worked. His observations had not been in vain, whenever he had watched Bonnie using them.

He clicked at the big clock on the Desktop and finally got a date:

16:05. Friday. 13.11.2009.

Just a sec.. _2009_?! That was a joke.. it had to be!

That meant.. that meant 23 years had passed!

Ugh.

Hit by that new information, yet fascinated by the computer technology, Kitt took a chair, made himself comfortable in front of the screen and clicked through the menu.

Microsoft.

Still one common name.

Were the MS DOS and ARPANET still existing?

After one confusing hour, and after he had fought his way through the strange system, the black-haired youth had gotten an overview of how to use it without lethal force. If you looked at it that way, the system hadn't really changed.

Internet Explorer was the magic word, and as Kitt clicked on the button an internet page named google emerged.

What was a google?

Puzzled, he looked at the blank line, typed in Michael name at a venture and got several pages with results. Some of them with quite unserious contents.

So this was a search site.. really practical.

Two hours later, he had found a possible address. It had been difficult to look through the several pages and links which had also been full of false information and dead ends. But now, it seemed he had got a clue. A name, some general information and an address at a lake.

It was worth a try.

The next step was to get out of this building without being seen.

The CCTV in its corner grinned at Kitt, and he started grumbling. They were watching him, clearly. And if there were surveillance cameras, there were humans operating them..

To sneak out in the cover of darkness?

Maybe yes. In the next moment the young man reminded himself that he was as blind as the camera in total darkness now. Again, he drew a comparison to his old body which had been equipped with infrared sensors, making him able to move at night.

Humans seemed to miss some essential abilities..

Finally, Kitt decided for the cat-like method, turned off the light and waited until his eyes had adjusted to the twilight. If anybody would pass by, he got the advantage of seeing better now than the watchman who was surely drinking coffee in broad halogen-light.

Half an hour passed and nothing happened. Enough reason for the youth to give it a try. His aim was to get out of the building without raising attention. He hated such scenes. And he hated violence, if that was that was the right word for it.

He had never understood why some people seemed to delight in giving others pain..

"Why is the light turned off?" somebody turned up at the front door, unlocked it and shone into the room with a flashlight. But even with his muscular, strong stature, he couldn't completely block the doorframe, leaving the young man with a chance to sneak through.

"And where the hell did that guy vanish to?!"

He had switched on the light again, and now, Kitt had a problem.

Of course he would look after him.. stupid that he had missed that fact.

To err was still _human_.. The cynical comment slipped over his lips, yet in an instant he was master of himself again and did what was best now: Run.

"Hey, stop!" the watchman had noticed him and ran after the young man who had been fast enough to pass the big entrance door and block it from the outside.

Hoping, that this had been his only problem.

In a hurry, he turned around and recognized the big chain link gate. Anxiously, he tried to control his thoughts. Adrenaline raced through his body, a mix of anxiety and tension, and it was confusing as it was impractical.

Had he been a car, he would've driven away.. Kitt pondered, but then the idea hit him. Why not?

Even if being a car and driving a car where too separate things, he already knew how to use the mechanics. And an automatic could not be THAT hard to drive.

Not hesitating any longer, the black-haired youth went for the most robust looking car, being a silver-grey Ford Focus, got in and desperately prayed the keys were in.

And his prayers got answered. With a quick turn of the keys he started the car, went into reverse gear and pulled the car out of the parking space – which resulted in bumping the rear end at the wall behind it. It was for the second go that he had gotten the right feeling for the clutches, pulled out and put his foot on the gas.

The only loosely closed door swung open when he raced through, and scratched the car's front bumper in that violent action. Without paying attention, Kitt followed the narrow path which brought him onto a wider street and looked for a sign. He had remembered the location of Michael's place, several miles absent from his own place. It would be tomorrow morning before he reached it.

If he reached it.

What, if he wouldn't meet Michael there?

It was not until he had the highway under his feet again that the young man felt somehow like at home. He had always enjoyed to be on the way with his partner, to let the lights of the cities pass by and enjoy the silence of the night..

The highway was his home.

Slowly, his excitement vanished as the young man adjusted himself to his vehicle and the fading traffic on the highway. He didn't even feel tired, more like.. estranged.

It seemed to him that now he clearly understood. Did humans always react that way when they experienced shock? He had almost lost track because of his wandering thought, but a decent horn-blowing behind him brought Kitt back into reality. And his car back on the right lane.

"Don't worry, I didn't mean it.." he murmured, surprised of and angry at himself. Humans were strange, they acted illogically and thought about things totally impracticable.

And now, he was one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Lost Innocence**

**

* * *

**

After a long night, a few stops at gas stations and some hundred miles later, Kitt had finally reached his destination: The Huntington Lake near the 168, up in the mountainous region of California. A barrier lake of approx. 4 miles length, surrounded by some small houses.

"Well.. I guess this means Murphy's Law then..", the black-haired young man tapped against the fuel display on the dashboard which had fallen to zero. Empty. During his hasty flight he had not thought of the one thing which made wishes come true in America: Money.

The few bucks he had found in his jacket's pocket had scarcely sufficed to still his hunger. He might've been bold in some cases, but stealing was out of the question. Even if it was for a good idea.

At least, the car had brought him near enough that he could walk the remaining distance. Down the road to the Lake, if he remembered correctly..

"Thank you, pal," Kitt friendly tapped the Ford on the hood, then let the car remain standing at the side of the road. "See you next time. I am sorry to have pushed you so hard.." he smiled painfully and cuddled into his jacket.

It had gotten cold, despite the warm sunshine, and in a few hours the sun would go down.

He should hurry.

After maybe one hour of walking, he finally encountered the small house with the matching nameplate. He felt strangely nervous. How should he explain to Michael who he was?

He could still remember his partner being somewhat of a stubborn fellow, not easy to persuade at first. You had to be patient to make him believe. Which didn't simplify the whole thing at all..

While Kitt, still in thoughts, was looking for a possible solution, he had unwillingly entered the backyard of the building when someone greeted him with a gruffly "Who are you?"

Surprised, the young man lifted his glance – and looked at a maybe fifty year old man, of strong stature, carrying slightly fallen features in his face, who had the typical brown curls in his hair and the still alert green eyes. Despite him drinking. Was that really Michael?

It had to be him, undeniably, yet the look puzzled Kitt more as he had thought.

Had that much time passed? Michael appeared to have aged decades, which he obviously truly had.. Left aside the more leisurely clothing, consisting of Jeans and a warm Sweater.

"I don't ask you twice", his Ex-Partner stood up from his comfortable seat and came forward to the young man who still didn't speak up. "Who the hell are you?"

"Michael?" the black-haired youth asked suspiciously, "Is it really you?"

Why was he hesitating? Kitt didn't know what was going on with him right now - he had found him! But that strange feeling told him once again to be careful. He could almost _feel_ tension lying in the air.

"Who wants to know that?" Michael tilted his head, at first glance not very amused about that intruder. Shit, he had left his gun inside the house.. The thought occurred to him, his trained instincts coming to life.

Another way of getting rid of drunkenness, for now he felt sober all of a sudden.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he demonstratively pushed himself further to the guy who didn't move on, but also not back.

"If I told you it's me, you wouldn't believe me anyway, would you?" Kitt couldn't resist smirking, despite the dangerous situation he found himself in. He had only one chance, and now all he was doing was blabbering nonsense.

Not very productive. And not very logical.

"What is this game about?" Michael felt his anger rising, slightly confused. He didn't know what was going on, and why this guy talked in riddles. His scrutinizing eyes glued themselves on the ruby-red ones of his counterpart.

Their colour vaguely reminded him of something..

"Now talk before I get angry!" He hissed at his former partner, preparing for a fight. He liked that whole thing less and less! What was that guy thinking of sneaking up to him like that?

"Still the same.." A painful smile flitted over Kitt's face and he desperately longed to have his old body back. Had he been standing there as the black TransAm, everything would've been easier. "Don't you miss your old partner?" He directly put the question at Michael, searching into his eyes for affirmation.

"I only had one partner.." Michael answered, bitter about what had happened. In all of those 23 years, not one trace had been found. Not a single one which could've told them about his whereabouts. "And he doesn't exist anymore."

"You cannot know that?" Kitt contradicted, a feeling of disappointment rushing through him. Had Michael really forgotten him?

He simply couldn't believe it!

"Ah, but you know it, or what?" his Ex-Partner looked at him with mockery. "Laid aside that I am talking to a total stranger who doesn't even want to tell me his name. Speak, lad, if you know anything!"

Embarrassed, the young man looked down.

"I don't know what happened, and I cannot understand your disappointment.. but I do know that I awoke on an OP-table yesterday and was not the same anymore."

The bewildered look into those eyes set Michael thinking. He knew that colour!

Ruby-red with a shimmer of Magenta..

But the idea was too ridiculous! It had to be the Whiskey, for sure.

"We all felt that way before.." He crossed his arms in front of his chest to defend himself. It sounded strange what that guy told him.. His guts told him something was wrong here. "So?"

"I don't get it myself! How can anyone hide a highly evolved artificial intelligence for 23 years, and now transplant it as a Nanochip into a human brain? Tell me, Michael!" The young man finally let the cat out of the bag. As if the CPU had heard his words, Kitt suddenly felt his temples with a moan, the pain stinging like needles.

"What are you talking about.." Michael noticed himself going backwards. That was too much. That guy definitely had some screws loose, his reaction was unmistakeable. Although he really seemed to be in pain..

What he had just said, couldn't be true! Or could it?

"Whence do you know that?" He snapped at the youth in front of him, "Who are you, for God's Sake?"

"Michael, it's me, your partner!" The black-haired youth couldn't find any better argument, the pain increasing and blocking his clear thinking. Why all of a sudden? Why now? "Your partner and friend from the old days.. _KITT_!"

With that, his vision blackened.

"What the-" Michael could only watch his opponent collapse on the ground, with one jump seeing himself next to him. Still, his wish to help was stronger than his carefulness or objection towards strangers who came to close to him.

"Hey, wake up!" he tried to raise the unconscious man, but as he didn't move he lifted him up to carry him inside his house. It looked worse than it actually was, after a short while he would awaken by himself.

Besides, he couldn't just let him lie on the cold ground.

Grumbling angrily, Michael managed to lay him down on the couch, followed by the idea to drink coffee instead of another Whiskey to think clear again. Thinking was the only thing he could do now anyway.

And wait.

"Is this really possible?" He sat down opposite of the unconscious youth, closely watching him. "Is that really you, partner?"

Even if his explanation had been rough and ready, there was some truth in it. That person here could not be much older than 25, so he couldn't have a chance to know about the past. When the CPU had been dismantled and stolen.

Michael remembered he had come home with KITT, the TransAm had shifted to sleeping mode – and had vanished the next day. Not the car, but the processor with its unique artificial intelligence, a shock for everybody.

Especially for himself.

Despite intense research, they hadn't found a clue as to KITT's whereabouts, not a single one.. Bitter and disappointed in the loss of his only true partner, Michael had quit the Foundation some years later to settle here at the Huntington Lake to live his calm life.

But certainly not with the idea of drowning his sorrow in alcohol from time to time.

Plus, the new Foundation with their "new" KITT hadn't been able to convince him anew. He had left this task to the new, younger generation, which was probably a much better match for the almost aggressive Mustang than he from the old days.

He had always liked the slender, elegant lines of the TransAm..

As for the new built KITT, he had simply denied him. The processor did his job, but he missed that personal, human warmth and friendliness which had been so unique to the "old" KITT. The new one was like a robot, without emotion.

**That** was not KITT.

**That** was not his partner.

Again, he stared at the unconscious young man on his couch. That just couldn't be real.. Michael contemplated about the idea. Could you transplant a processor into a human brain at all? Would his personality still be there or would it die in the effort to cross machine with man?

Nanotechnology, he had said.

"Well, if a Mustang can change his body into a pickup in like five seconds, maybe you can be right too?" He almost longed to believe the story, but his skepticism kept him avert from the idea. It was too good to be true.. "But if that is so.." a plan formed in his mind, "If that is so, I have some questions."

* * *

It was not before the next morning when Kitt awoke with a long yawn. Where was he?

Puzzled, he looked around, his logical thinking telling him some 5 seconds later that he had to be inside Michael's house. He had collapsed in front of his eyes, embarrassing enough.

Again, something which wouldn't have occurred had he still possessed his old body.

"How long..", he asked himself the question aloud, in the next instant looking at a friendlier Michael than yesterday who turned round the corner to greet him.

"You have slept for almost one day," he gazed at the stranger with honest curiosity, still asking himself if that guy had told him the truth. Seen in a sober light, all that sounded unlikely. Even _if _it was him, why, of all things, had he come to HIM?

Now, after 23 years?

"Since I am no mean person, I thought, maybe you first eat something, and then I will ask you some questions which you will answer directly and truthfully. Deal?"

"That's not a deal , that's blackmailing," A derisive smirk showed on the face of the young man, followed by a loud grumbling noise of his stomach.

"Your stomach tells me something different," Michael smirked back, laughing when he encountered a somewhat sulking face. Even if that youth wasn't Kitt, the reaction totally matched!

"Hey, no need to be angry," he cleared his throat to get rid of this embarrassing feeling, only to put some sandwiches and a cup of coffee in front of his opponent. "Help yourself."

In the course of 10 minutes, breakfast had been mauled, and Kitt warmed himself at the cup of the hot beverage, being watched very alertly by Michael.

"And now tell me how you found me, and why I should believe you," Michael directly addressed the topic. "And I warn you to find a pretty good reason."

"You haven't changed in the least.." A friendly, warm smile crossed the face of the youth and curious he looked into the face in front of him; ruby-red eyes which fixed their gaze on the green ones of Michael. "Back then, you ran away from me at first, remember?"

Perplexed, the older man twitched his eyebrow.

"It was in a dark, empty hall, you were standing on the spot, and all of a sudden you were looking into a flashing strobe-light and a pair of bright headlights." Kitt recalled the so important incident back then. He hadn't forgotten until this very day, it had been the start of their friendship..

"Later, you ran away from me again, and I came after you" the black-haired young man smiled. "I bet it must've looked odd as a black TransAm came rolling after his driver.."

"You cannot know about that.. I was on my own" Michael contradicted, vaguely reminded of that day. Of course that event had never left his memory, it was still like a burning image in his mind. Whence did that youngster, who couldn't have been there, know _exactly _how it happened? "Who told you?"

"You don't believe me?" Disappointment flitted for a moment over the pretty face. Michael was harder to convince than he had first thought. "It was me who didn't leave you alone," he added. "They had built me into your car with the special task to preserve human life. Yours in particular. Devon told you everything once you went for the first ride."

"Don't talk of Devon!" Michael all of a sudden felt the pain coming back. He had long tried to get over the loss of him, and now that guy was talking of things he didn't even know about! "You don't know him!"

"Are you joking?" the young man frowned. "He was like a father to me, in human terms.. he had brought me to life after Wilton Knight had entrusted him with his vision."

"Devon is dead!" Michael shot at his opponent, who twitched startled in response. "With his death, the Foundation is dead to me as well.." He averted his bitter gaze, hiding his sorrow from his opponent who was watching him.

It had been a natural death, but no organization whatsoever could ever have brought him back to life. Devon had been unique, like Kitt.

His loss was irreplaceable.

"Devon.. is dead?" Kitt felt strangely numbed. It was.. as if somebody had thrown ice inside his veins. This couldn't be true..

"Yes," his Ex-Partner had regained self-control, but still felt sorrow, pain and disappointment keeping the upper hand. Why all that? "Bonnie and April more or less manage to get by. I don't want to talk of RC.. How can you dare to return, **now**? After all those years?" he angrily shouted at Kitt whose story he finally believed. Oh cruel fate to hurt him like that!

Why had he struggled with all those things for all those years just to start all over again now? If that really was Kitt, he was truly sorry to tell him all that had happened!

"Michael.. I.. I'm sorry.." Kitt finally answered after a short while, feeling somewhat depressed. His hand had clutched upon the cup, Michael thought he would break it. But when he looked into the slightly wet eyes of his counterpart, he calmed down.

No matter who he was, it affected him.. No stranger would care that much about a man he didn't even know.

So it was true..

Cruel world.

"I've never abandoned you, and you know that as well as I do.." the young man embarrassedly looked into his cup. "I am sorry I couldn't help you."

"That's ok, it doesn't seem to be your fault," Michael sighed and let his hand glide through his hair. "I believe you. For now. But if I discover any problems, then God be with you.."

A smile appeared on Kitt's face. Had he won now? It seemed so..

"Since when do you believe in God?" he smirked amusedly. "And thank you. It is nice to be with you again," he loosened his grip. It was hard to hear such bad things on a sunny November morning.. Deep inside, Kitt felt the pain of Devon's loss who had been always more than just his boss.

He had always liked the old, slightly confused man.

But it was no surprise. Devon had been old even at his time. Of course he was not immortal. The more did he ask himself how Michael had gotten over it. Obviously not well, as he had just discovered.

And he had never experienced somebody shouting at him like that. Michael never had..

Yet, there was no time for his hurt pride. Too important were the circumstances he was in. He and his partner. It was naïve to believe the search for him had been abandoned.. Kitt thought it through. Sooner or later they would find him, and then he'd be in trouble.

But right now, the only thing that mattered was somebody whom he knew, who understood him and could explain that now, modern and perplexing world to him.

After some minutes of a somewhat comfortable silence this time, the former car spoke up. "You don't happen to have some clothes for me?" Kitt suddenly pointed at a peculiar point in his agenda. Slightly smirking, despite the strange situation. "I am not up to date about clothing, but I still go for basic black."

"I'm sure," Michael, for the first time, answered with a warm smile, "I'll find something."

* * *

Author's Note: I am again sorry to say that it always takes a while before I translate.. If any of you knows German, they can read it on .de

Same title, and actually stuck at Chapter 21. :) I'm doing my best, but right now I need to do some university stuff (it was hard to overcome my motivational lack) and this may take quite long.. And I need to write the German story as well.

For any of you who spot mistakes here, please tell me and I'll fix them. And if any of you (who is good at Grammar) would like to proofread it, very welcome. I am not a Native Speaker, and some structural things as well as tenses just work different in German, and I simply cannot get the different system into my head. Besides, I don't use any dictionary to translate it. :P

Hope you like it anyway.^^


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